"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word,
which means more to me than any other.
That word is ENGLAND." - Sir Winston Churchill

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Teacher at Trojan Horse school who said Islam was the 'true religion' and Christians and Jews were ignorant is found guilty of misconduct

Wakass Haruf made the comments during a Friday playground sermon

Birmingham maths teacher could be banned from the classroom for life

Cleared of accusations that he made pupils pray instead of playing football

Second Trojan Horse school scandal teacher banned for five years

A former teacher at two Birmingham schools linked to the Trojan Horse scandal could face a lifetime ban from the classroom after he told pupils that Christians and Jews were 'ignorant' and Muslims have 'the true religion'.

Wakass Haruf, 30, was found guilty of 'professional misconduct' for making the 'inappropriate' comments during a playground sermon to mark Islamic Friday prayers in June 2013.

A panel said that while Mr Haruf's comments to pupils during the sermon were 'isolated utterances', they breached teaching standards that rule teachers should 'not undermine British values and should promote tolerance of all faiths'.

+3

Sermon: Wakass Haruf, 30, was found guilty of 'professional misconduct' by a panel for telling pupils Muslims have the true religion, while Christians and Jews are 'ignorant' during a Friday sermon

In a witness statement, another teacher at the school said he saw Mr Haruf making offensive remarks during prayer sessions.

He claimed that he told pupils: 'We (Muslims) have the true religion, not like those ignorant Christians and ignorant Jews.'

However, describing Mr Haruf as a 'credible and truthful' witness the panel cleared him of allegations that he stopped pupils from playing football to make them pray instead and telling children they were worse than a 'kaffir' - a non-believer - if they chose sport over worship.

He is just one of 13 teachers from four Birmingham schools linked to the so-called Trojan Horse plot accused of professional misconduct by the National College for Teaching & Leadership.

The alleged plot allegedly involves a group of hardline Muslims attempting to Islamise non-faith schools.

+3

Denial: Maths teacher Wakass Haruf said he was shocked to be among 13 teachers from Birmingham schools being disciplined over their teaching

Previously,The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) heard that Mr Haruf - a Sunni Muslim - clashed with the school's head of maths Homa Memari, who is a Shia Muslim.

NCTL legal representative Kate Bex told the hearing in November: 'In June 2013, Mr Haruf made comments in a Friday prayer session that were sectarian in nature.

'Frank Bruce, a teacher at Golden Hillock School, heard him emphasise several times how important Abu Bakr is, while directing his attention to Ms Memari.

'Historically, Shia Muslims follow one leader after the Prophet, Ali, and not other leaders such as Abu Bakr who is important only to Sunni Muslims and not to Shia Muslims.

'Such a sermon should have focused on figures that are not divisive, for example Allah or Muhammed.

'Mr Bruce spoke to Ms Memari afterwards and she was visibly upset and said she would not attend Friday prayer sermons in future.

The ruling comes as the former headmaster of another Birmingham school linked to the Trojan Horse scandal was banned from teaching for ‘misconduct of a serious nature’.

Jahangir Akbar, was found to have decreased the diversity of religious education for pupils - aged seven to 11 - having banned the school from holding Christmas performances or putting up a Christmas tree ‘in order to have more time to focus on teaching and learning’.

While Wakass Haruf's teaching fate is yet to be decided, Jahangir Akbar could be allowed back into the classroom in as little as five years.

The panel cleared Haruf of a number of additional allegations - including claims he was part of an agreement with like-minded teachers, governors and parents to allow an undue amount of religious influence on the education of pupils at Park View and Golden Hillock.

+3

Jahangir Akbar, 38, was acting head of Oldknow Academy in Small Heath, Birmingham, when it was caught up in the Trojan Horse claims of a takeover by groups promoting a hard-line Muslim agenda. He has now been banned from teaching for five years

Mr Haruf was part of a What's App messaging group called the Park View Brotherhood, which saw teachers sharing 'offensive' views including claims the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby was a hoax, the panel heard.

However the ruled that while his messages about the soldier were 'ill-advised and inappropriate', they were 'limited'.

Mr Bompas described Mr Haruf as a 'hugely enthusiastic' teacher who should have been given more support from senior leaders and took on extra responsibility, such as prayers, when he 'should have declined'.

He added: 'The panel formed a largely favourable impression of Mr Haruf and found that he was an outstanding maths teacher who was well-liked by staff and students.'

Mr Haruf was also cleared of encouraging pupils to pray at Park View by broadcasting calls to prayer over a tannoy, putting up posters and sending direct reminders to teachers and prefects.

He is set to be sanctioned at a later date by education secretary Nicky Morgan and could be banned from teaching indefinitely.

Park View, which was made subject to special measures by Ofsted in April 2014 following the emergence of the Trojan Horse allegations, was renamed Rockwood Academy in September and now has a new head teacher and governing body.

Last month Ofsted said it was on the right path to pull itself out of special measures.

Golden Hillock was taken over by another academy chain in September and is now Ark Boulton. It too has a new principal and governing body.